The chaps behind London’s über-cool art-bars, The Book Club and The Queen of Hoxton – The Mothership Group – have joined forces with super cool artist management platform Central Illustration Agency and one of their hottest talents, art collective ‘Pirates‘ to take over an old factory and create Clerkenwell’s, and perhaps London’s, very first Pop-Up-Bar-as-Art-Installation project. The 4am licensed DJ bar opens next week… and judging from our sneak peak at the interiors – bold, brash, typography that echoes the factory’s past as a specialist in silver lithography – it looks set to be a visual feast…..
An ever-evolving guide to the coolest places to be seen, includes the hottest bars, clubs and in-the-know events in all of the world’s hippest destinations.
Pop-Up Pirates, Clerkenwell
part art installation, part late-night bar, opens soon....
May 10th, 2010
Vanity at Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas
refined, subtle interiors in Vegas? don't be stupid.....
March 23rd, 2010
If you’re looking for the epitome of elegance and taste, then you’ll no doubt be anywhere but Vegas…. drama, opulence and lavish grandeur however, and you’re right at home, especially so in the Hard Rock Hotel’s newest ‘be-seen’ destination, an extravagant 14,000 square foot, upscale nightclub. A ridiculously luxurious interior, courtesy of Californian designers, Mister Important, sees antique mirrors, marble bars, honeycombed walls, exceedingly opulent restrooms and a centrepiece chandelier with over 20,000 lit crystals, all fused with more than a little theatre. Extravagance never looked so good….
Luxx Club, Mayfair, London
London's latest über-exclusive venue is a homage to 80s neon....
March 4th, 2010
Bathed in the warm glow of retro 1980s neon style lighting, London’s latest ‘venue for the privileged’ – this is a 200 capacity, invite only affair – wouldn’t look far out of place as a set on a Scarface remake and could easily have inspired scenes from Grand Theft Auto. Whilst the reality my well be slightly more reserved, this is Mayfair after all, the sensationally chic minimalist interiors of Luxx – courtesy of Italian architect Rossella Stina – certainly offer the illusion of a desirably seedy 80s with it’s spectacular glass runway of light, black lacquer walls, frosted glass and those beautiful LED strips…..
“Inviting, surprising, obscure, strange and beautiful”, that’s just how they describe the acts performing at London’s most exhilarating new venue… thanks to design-legend Tom Dixon however, they are words that could just as easily encapsulate the essence of his glamorous interior. From Shoreditch House to the Paramount Members Club, former Creative Director of Habitat, Tom Dixon is surely one of the capital’s key figures for flamboyant interior design, and his work at this new Seven Dials bar, restaurant and entertainment experience does not disappoint. High quality North American cuisine at surprisingly reasonable prices, innovative cocktails from the world famous Worldwide Cocktail Club and inventive, unique performances that encompass the venue ensure that Circus will be a hot ticket for years to come…..
Wonderfully challenging concepts of what defines ‘cool’, Freni e Frizioni is one of Rome’s many fabulous art/dive bars that gives the city it’s captivating and vibrant nightlife. Housed in a former car workshop, Freni e Frizioni (or Brakes and Clutches) is situated in the heart of Trastevere, Rome’s trendy, bohemian district on the banks of the Tiber, and is home to contemporary art, vintage furniture… and if locals are to be believed, the city’s finest mojito. Overlooking the beautiful Politeama square, during fine weather the bar heaves out onto the street, whilst inside a buffet of pizzas, salads, pastas and seasonal dishes is served each evening between 7pm and 10pm. Gritty, arty and we believe, decidedly cool, Freni e Frizioni is an ideal place to spend time in the eternal city.
Offering a selection of some 300 wines and sporting some of the most beautifully distressed decor we’ve seen in some time, the Pullman in downtown Montreal is impeccably designed by award winning local designer, Bruno Braën. A tapas menu that offers venison tartare, bison burgers and oysters is more than ample enough to spend some serious time sampling the well traveled wine selection that is served by the deeply knowledgeable staff…. each waiter is a trained sommelier! It’s the decor that really knocks us for six though with it’s warehouse chic, exposed concrete walls, retro woods and the perfectly apt wine glass chandelier that acts as the rather fitting centerpiece to this unique little bar.
The Blues Kitchen, London
Camden's newest hipster hangout is a Southern fried affair....
December 26th, 2009
The team behind Islington’s raucous live music venue/pub, The Old Queens Head, Camden’s newest skinny jeans magnet is also a rather more sincere attempt to bring a healthy dose of authentic blues to London’s largest music scene. Bustling and reassuringly loud, The Blues Kitchen is set in a grand old boozer on Camden’s high street a regular Sunday open-mic blues jam along with a whole host of other events and more ad-hoc appearances from the likes of the tragically unwashed Pete(r) Doherty. The food is genuinely authentic Cajun fare with the likes of seafood gumbo, blackened shrimp and po’ boy sandwiches, there is an extensive selection of Bourbons, Ryes and Tennessee whiskeys and the decor really works with it’s homely Southern touches and in particular the interesting ventilation pipe light fittings…
Set inside Cairo’s prestigious Nile City Towers development, overlooking the iconic Egyptian river, Tamarai Restaurant & Bar is the city’s newest must-be-seen-in destination thanks in no small part to it’s super-stylish interiors from the award winning Shahira H Fahmy. The menu is presented by French Michelin starred chef, Jimmy Hurtebise, a former trainee of legend Alain Ducasse, whilst extravagant cocktails, a sensational nile-side outdoor terrace and errrm Cairo’s ‘hottest’ DJs (no, we’re not sure either), ensure that after dinner is equally as impressive. If you’re heading to Cairo and looking for a modern warehouse style take on the classic Egyptian temple then this is certainly worth checking out….
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from The Import
We caught up with New York based artist Devin McGrath who, in his beautifully crafted, unique style, bashes out darkly inspirational artworks with an enviable ease……
Clean and crisp, thoughtful illustration is a strong presence in the delightful portfolio of Welsh, Manchester based graduate Gareth Hughes.....
They love fellow Bristolian Banksy – in no small part due to making them a lot of money – but rate Tracy Emin as “nonsensical shit”. Here's our studio spotlight on Taxi Studio.....
The Dead Photos is an inspiring collection of macabre, touching, humorous and enlightening images that offer a delicate insight into the fragility of human life.
Half English half Japanese, London-based Jiro Bevis knocks out record covers, club flyers and editorial pieces with a ridiculously cool, 1980s retro vibe to them....
It’s great to see a company have a strong visual identity running throughout their brand – and that’s just what Stockholm based Bedow Creative have achieved for Sweden’s largest organic grocery store, Eat! Ekoaffären.
Founded by the rather talented duo of Mark Tappin and Simon Gofton, Tappin Gofton is a London-based studio that knock out some wonderfully distinctive work
We asked the Portland studio some questions, which they blindly ignored – instead providing us with a delightful insight into their wonderfully twisted minds. Enjoy…..
Decidedly Brazilian, thanks to it’s colour and vibrancy, Rubens LP’s style is the perfect accompaniment to summer – and anyone who uses bulldogs in their work is sure to receive high precedence with us…..
Rolling out across Europe in coming weeks is this, rather difficult to watch, advert for Sony’s new range of 3D TVs – courtesy of Sexy Beast director Jonathan Glazer....
Devin McGrath
Gareth Hughes
Taxi Studio
The Dead Photos
Jiro Bevis
Eat! Brand Identity
Tappin Gofton
The Official Manufacturing Company
Rubens LP
Sony 3D TV Advert
